A store dubbed 'Little Shop of Horrors' had now had its licence revoked after a history of violence and selling to minors. The store once saw a member of staff hit a customer over the head with a hammer and had a Samurai sword behind the counter.
A hearing was held at Grimsby Town Hall to discuss the future of Cartergate News and Wine in the town. The meeting was called by the chief constable of Humberside Police after he requested its licence be revoked due to "serious concerns" over the management of the premises, Grimsby Live reports.
Thambiah Rameshkumar first took responsibility for the premises' licence in 2007, his wife Jeyathevi Rameshkumar also then became a holder in 2021. They have since been involved in multiple issues related to crime and disorder and the protection of children from harm and public safety.
The married couple have reportedly breached conditions placed on the licence several times, failing to comply with old and new conditions on several occasions. Humberside Police applied for the most recent review on the grounds that the premises or those linked to the premises are undermining the prevention of crime and disorder and public safety under the Licensing Act 2003.
A previous review was deferred due to Mr Rameshkumar's poor health. Mrs Rameshkumar's written representation says that he has had a stroke and she took him to a hospital in India.
A representative for Humberside Police said at the licensing sub-committee: “It is clear that the responsibility of being a licence holder is not being taken seriously. We would go as far to say there is a blatant disregard for the licensing conditions.”
During the hearing, representation for Mrs Rameshkumar updated cabinet members by saying that a sale of the premises would be going through within the next six to eight weeks. After proceedings had concluded, chair of the committee Cllr David Hasthorpe concluded: “Thank you to everyone for their attendance at the hearing today. We have taken into consideration all representations, both in writing and orally.
“We acknowledge and sympathise with the personal circumstances of Mrs Rameshkumar. However, this sub-committee takes breaches of conditions very seriously. We have taken into account the troubled past and multiple breaches of the licence conditions as outlined by Humberside Police.
"In addition, we are mindful of the fact that there is no guarantee that the sale of the business will actually take place. This sub-committee has a duty to deal with the here and now and to protect and reassure the local community.
“There are clear admissions of breaches of conditions, which is a blatant disregard for the licensing objectives. The premises licence holder has the ultimate responsibility for the running of this business and this sub-committee is not assured that this can happen safely moving forward. This sub-committee has decided that revocation is the only reasonable and proportionate option today.”
